


A Love Out to Sea

by Bai_Marionette



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Lowerclass!Ivan, M/M, RusAme Secret Santa 2k13, Smut, Titanic AU, Upperclass!Alfred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 11:00:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2022654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bai_Marionette/pseuds/Bai_Marionette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they had made plans for this trip, they had never planned for it to end this way. They had dreamed of coming out to Ivan's family, maybe move in together, but definitely love each other indefinitely and infinitely.<br/>They hadn't planned this but at least they could have each in their last moments. Those three days aboard the infamous ship made all the difference in both their lives. Especially those last few hours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Love Out to Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [violetlolitapop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetlolitapop/gifts).



**A Love Out to Sea**

Every story has a beginning.

Every crack and scratch has a source. Even stories have a beginning, some are sad, some are happy, some are both. Some are just simply tragic. This is one of those stories, such a sad tale was the one of Ivan Bragniski. A beginning clock maker and an amateur artist aboard a ship that he had thought he would see only in photos: the Titanic.

 She was such a beautiful ship. He had taken his sisters with him after he made enough money in America to send for them, had gone across to get them and then personally put them on the ship. The rooms he could afford were barely above third class but he was just glad that he had enough money to afford it at all. To him, it was an honor to be aboard the beauty.

“Will it sink?” Natalya asked, as she wandered about the deck. Her accent showed in her English, earning a few disapproving looks from other patrons, Katyusha shushed her, but Ivan told her it was okay. He smiled, almost giddy in excitement and pride as his baby sister looked up to him, “And nyet, no, Natalya. This ship is unsinkable, all of the American newspapers say so, and once we get there, I can show you both all of the good work I’ve done to save up for this trip!”

He was beaming and the two women couldn’t help but to smile back. Katyusha had been more than ready to leave that downtrodden home of theirs in the Russian countryside and Natalya saw the trip as a long adventure as she perched on the railing and pretended that she was the captain herself.

Dinner came smoothly. Katyusha spent most of her time in enjoying the meal and listening while Natalya asked all sorts of questions about America that Ivan was happy to answer. It was during the transition, as Ivan put the young girl to sleep and told Katyusha to go and get changed to do the same that the Russian sighed out on the deck, leaning over the rail and simply watching the stars. The day had passed so quickly.

Then came a pat on his back – and Ivan started, eyes going wider and he instantly stood up straighter, “Ah, Mr. Jon-“

The blond cut him off, grinning, “Drop the pretense, Ivan, we’re alone.”

Ivan’s shoulders only relaxed when he realized that the shorter was correct. He sighed, “One day, we’re going to get caught, Alfred. And it won’t be pretty.”

“Only if you keep thinking that way,” Alfred responded, leaning on the railing opposite of Ivan. “So how did it go?”

Ivan smiled, the memory was still so fresh that he could always say that he imagined the whole day. It was almost too perfect. “Good, it was very good.” He paused, staring out to sea. “Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me…thank you so much.”

The look in his eyes was enough to stop the sly comment that Alfred had on his lips. He swallowed dryly in his throat, chuckling nervously, “Anytime big guy, I didn’t mind…helping ya out, I mean. I-I’m just glad I could make a difference.”

Ivan smiled, the moonlight reflecting well off of his features. “You did and I couldn’t be happier.”

The box in Alfred’s back pocket felt heavier, out of place, and he almost pegged it as unwanted – unneeded. He’d wait a little longer then.

“Right, okay,” he managed past the lump in his throat. He looked to the sea with Ivan, trying to reassure himself that himself that he’d get a chance past the crowds and eyes for that one moment. He’d just need five minutes. It was selfish of him, especially to use the trip for Ivan and his sisters to his own advantage, but he felt like he wouldn’t get a better chance if not this.

The second day found Ivan with showing his sisters more around the ship. He ignored the looks at their clothes as they wandered around the upper class, ignored their sly comments, thanking God that his Katyusha had always been a little hard of hearing and that Natalya’s inner skin was thicker than a wealthy man’s belly.

“We just saw the lounge – so this is the smoking room,” Ivan said, giving his sisters only time to glance in before he steered them around. Natalya was already coughing. Her asthma was terrible in the cigarette smoke.

“So what is this room?” Katyusha asked, bundling her shawl closer around her neck. Ivan looked up from Natalya’s diminished cough.

“Ah, this is the –“

“Mr. Bragniski, what a fancy meeting you here,” a familiar voice said from behind them. Ivan almost stiffened but held back, smiling politely. He turned around, straightening one suspender on his shoulder, “Ah, Mr. Jones, it’s good to see you too…”

Alfred grinned, shuffling the coat he had thrown under an arm. He winked playfully. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to the pretty ladies?”

Something in the Russian’s eye flashed as Katyusha blushed a bit and Natalya raised a brow. “Are you the captain of the ship?” she asked, to which Alfred laughed and shook his head.

“Captain? Oh no, we’d been more than six feet under if I was the one running the ship.” He joked. Natalya smiled some, coming closer to Alfred to listen despite Katyusha’s warning to stay close. “Nope, I’m just a spoiled rich brat in the shipping and steel industry.”

“A brat?” Natalya teased, “How are you a brat?”

Alfred ignored the looks he was given for talking to the lower class, his expensive suit and glasses contrasting with the plain clothing that Ivan and his sisters wore. Instead, he kept on smiling, “I eat a lot, for one, pretty much as often as I want. Someone is always trying to help me the simple things, I have a butler for every eyelash, and I own several horses on my estate in America.”

“You have horses?” Natalya asked, eyes going wide. “Oh, tell me, tell me! My family used to have a horse too! But Sasha passed away and –“

“Natalya, please,” Katyusha begged from the sidelines, trying to inch further behind Ivan. The looks were getting to her. “Hurry and finish with Mr. – err- um…”

“Alfred F. Jones, at your service,” Alfred bowed to her, making the buxom woman stammer and blush, Ivan sigh lightly and Natalya to bounce in her boots in excitement, clapping. “And don’t mind them, miss, they’re hoo-has, anyways.”

Natalya was grinning but Katyusha still looked uncomfortable with the general look of surprise and disapproval around her. Her younger sister was not paying the others any mind, “Tell me about your horses. Please.”

“Do you mind if I steal her?” Alfred joked, “I get carried away when I’m talking.” He was looking pointedly at Ivan, a silent invitation for him to join along. Katyusha was about to say no, when Natalya spoke over her, “She doesn’t mind. I’m old enough to go on my own.”

Then the girl made a bold move to glance back at her sister as if to challenge her statement made Katyusha start. Even Ivan looked shocked, and he frowned. He had been fine with his baby sister to talk to Alfred but not if she was going to acting out, he would not tolerate it. She had to behave. “Ah yes, I mind. Come, Natalya, we have to go. Say good bye to Mr. Jones.”

The young girl’s face broke as she found herself pulled back to her siblings, putting up a mild struggle until Ivan’s hand came down on her shoulder. She huffed but went still. Alfred stood alone on his own, smiling thinly, now the looks were more directed to see what he would do. Now he was the one getting uncomfortable.

“Good bye, Mr. Jones,” Natalya was the first to say. Katyusha bid him a good night and Ivan nodded, saying few words. They left quickly; Natalya almost immediately tried to complain before both her older siblings shushed her. The air in their cabin changed when they entered.

Ivan remained with his sisters until dinnertime, not daring to go out again and risk another chance of something again. What had Alfred been thinking? What had Ivan been thinking? Was he in over his head?

This was dangerous and getting worse.

He shouldn’t have gotten involved. This was a stupid idea. He should have just put his sisters on a regular boat and had them sail alone. Alfred and his near constant need for attention were proving this to be more difficult. Especially when Ivan knew what kind of attention that he wanted.

But there was no time here – Ivan couldn’t disappear from his cabin like he had done at his home in America. He had his sisters with him. He couldn’t let them see him disappear. There would be too many questions asked, questions that he didn’t have the answers to, questions that he didn’t want to answer. Questions that were too revealing, it would reveal everything, everything would fall apart.

Night came slowly to their cabin but he made the most of his time. Since Alfred was first class, he was among the few given a map of all of the residency areas of ship and he let Ivan borrow it beforehand so he could show them the rooms that they didn’t have access to. To see and hear their amazement at the ship’s design – it made him happy.

Even if he was lying to both them and himself on how they were allowed this trip.

He feigned sleep after Natalya, Katyusha finally falling asleep to finish a chapter of her favorite storybook that she had reread more times than she had been courted by a lustful suitor. Once he knew for sure that they were asleep, he stole off, barely letting the door or floorboards give a hint of his presence. He crossed the sleepy halls with ease. The Russian male made a mockery of his size as he mimicked a mouse’s silence with practiced footsteps.

He didn’t even have to knock. Alfred knew he was coming, had anticipated a meeting, and was expecting him. By the flat step at his door, the American opened the door and let him in, shutting it before anyone else could even notice the light coming from his room.

“I missed you,” Alfred said in between kisses to Ivan’s neck, already trying to remove the scarf to remake all of the lovely marks that had faded when Ivan went away to collect his sisters. “Acting is hard – I’d like something else to be hard for me.” His hand was bold in Ivan’s pants, moving past the Russian’s underwear to reclaim what he believed was his.

Ivan frowned, trying to keep their noise level to a minimum, “As much as I missed you, we just have to keep this up for a little while longer, just until we get to shore.”

He shivered under the other’s touch, heat building and already changing the atmosphere of the room. It didn’t take much for the taller to take control and they both tried to relish the moment. They were finally alone after what seemed like forever and then some, time to themselves. It was time to redraw all of the lovely words in tongue and fingers.

Ivan almost made for them to go to the bed out of habit, but Alfred stopped him, punching at his chest, “N-no, too close, I got neighbors. G-go for the armchair, just – chair, I’ll ride ya.” 

Nodding hurriedly and stumbling along, trying to dodge around useless other desks and simple chairs in his way, Ivan met back Alfred’s kisses with his own, rubbing the blonde’s back out of his dress shirt and loosening the tie. Alfred matched back the taller man’s fervor with his own, hands reaching over broad shoulders, fingers pressing into Russian’s back before the American jumped his legs over Ivan’s waist and caused them to stumble back into a loveseat.

He giggled even as Ivan rolled his eyes, kissing down the younger’s neck, nuzzling at the sensitive notches and paying close attention to how Alfred writhed in his lap. “Pants – take ‘em off,” the blonde breathed, tugging at Ivan’s waistband.

“Nyet,” Ivan replied, curling the edge of Alfred’s tie on his finger before yanking it and pulling the American’s head down for a kiss. Kissing him deeply, kissing him breathless, making hundreds of little butterflies shoot up from Alfred’s middle and lit a slow fire to his groin.

The younger grew impatient in simple heavy kisses and touches, grinding their lower bodies for friction, as he tried to throw off the Russian’s shirt. By some way of reason, he kept the suspenders on to snap them against Ivan’s pale chest, eliciting a small yelp before Ivan returned the favor in the form of a hard spank to the younger’s ass. Alfred found enjoyment in his punishment, his smirk proving so.

As the kisses and red marks under Alfred’s collar increased in number, despite his light moans and quick breaths, touching could only bring him so far. The American grew more impatient. Once more, he tugged at Ivan’s waist, rubbing at the bulge growing there insistently. “C’mon, you need it just as bad as I do, sugar.”

Ivan made a small face at the nickname, cheeks already tinted with his lust, as he grunted and finally listened to his lover’s demands. Taking advantage of the other’s exposed chest, he swirled his tongue around the rosebuds on the American’s chest as mimicked a sliding motion with his fingers. Alfred held back a whimper, trying to faintly remember if he had packed anything. No – did the ship supply anything – probably not. He took the fingers in his mouth instead, trying to get them as wet as possible.

Ivan pulled from the blonde’s nipple to frown at the mouth on his fingers, not liking in the thought of hurting the other, trying to think of an alternative but he saw nothing to use in the room. Then, he caught onto a vial in the bathroom – a scented oil, good enough.

He pulled his fingers prematurely from Alfred’s mouth to point, the younger’s eyes following and then narrowing at the distance from the loveseat and Ivan’s seat. He tried to take back the fingers and Ivan rolled his eyes, hefting the other on his lap and kissing away any protest as he walked them along. Alfred fought back briefly but he snatched the bottle, uncapping it as they got back to their original position.

He was grinding down on the other’s lap as he squirted a generous helping onto Ivan’s fingers. When he was finally worked out of his pants, he cast them aside. He helped to guide the slick fingers to his entrance, shivering as the Russian teased the rim before pushing them inside slowly.

Alfred’s face burned at the look of devotion on Ivan’s face, feeling something twinge inside of him, a part of his mind wondering on why his little black box went. But those thoughts went out of the window and even deeper in the dark ocean outside as that special place inside of him was rubbed. Then stroked, teased, poked and rimmed.

His sexual frustration won over his pride as he began to bounce back on the fingers as he tried to encourage them to press harder.  His bounces increased as Ivan held him firmly with a hand on his hip. The pleasure blooming inside of him, biting on his lip to keep back the moans, as the aching between his legs made his breaths increase until every other one coming as a borderline hiccup.

The aching was getting worse and he whimpered in Ivan’s lap, shivering. Once more his impatience spoke for him, as he grew tired of simple fingers, reaching for something bigger- reaching for his prize in Ivan’s spread legs.

He found the grip on his hip tighten as violet eyes narrowed as something akin to smug flashed in them. The fingers changed their motions, striking harder, moving faster, and Alfred felt his face flush harder, as moans spilled more easily from his lips. Ivan silenced them with a kiss, almost literally stealing his breath before pulling away to leave the American gasping in his lap.

Alfred pushed at the other’s broad chest, challenging the other to deny him, as he tried to raise himself off of the fingers. Ivan tickled the slick walls as his fingers pulled free, Alfred keening and nearly dropping himself back down but holding firm in his demand.

It didn’t take much to slick up Ivan’s engorged length but it took some effort to keep quiet when he pushed in. Tears pricked at Alfred’s eyes at the slight burn that he hadn’t really remembered with just the fingers. The going was slow but Ivan was patient with the younger, bidding his time in cooing sweet nothings by the American’s ears as he rubbed at the younger’s hips.

Despite how Alfred wanted to keep going despite the burn, Ivan’s hands at his sides made it difficult to do exactly as he wanted so he finally slapped the hands away and started bouncing on the Russian’s lap. He missed his spot the first few times, only giving himself a sliver of the pleasure as when he finally hit closer.

At the near open moan, Ivan came back to take control. He maneuvered the other’s legs around him, whereas he usually frowned at Alfred’s feet on the furniture. When Alfred lifted up, Ivan would meet him halfway and help to bring him the rest of the way down, grinding their lower halves together for an incredible sense of pleasure.

The younger blonde keened, holding a hand to his mouth to hold back his moans from his neighbors, Ivan keeping his own mouth occupied in kissing up tan limbs and fingertips. As Alfred bounced in his lap, he felt the heat build up and grow into a tight coil in his middle. Being quiet was becoming more difficult than he had originally thought.

Especially with their position and pace, it was getting to be very hard indeed.

Little stars had begun in Alfred’s vision as his lover continued his pleasured motions. His mouth was open in a silent moan, his end nearly within in his reach only for him to suddenly tense up at the sound of footsteps passing by his door. Ivan grunted as Alfred quickly covered his mouth, blushing furiously, having forgotten about the light cracking under the door – he had not planned this endeavor very well.

Either Ivan hadn’t heard the footsteps or he had and was simply ignoring them. He continued to thrust upwards into his embarrassed lover. He still had his smirk but it almost looked knowing. Alfred wished he could glare properly as the footsteps passed over their room but the pleasure running through his veins kept him from doing than a shudder and a narrowed lustful gaze.

Alfred tried to bounce faster, trying to catch back his release to get rid of the heated coil in his middle. Those bounces excited the both of them to further along their affair to avoid getting caught.

Climax came to Alfred in less like a wave and more of a sudden drop. Literally – he had just raised himself and as he came down, a near faint-worthy sense of pleasure flooded his system and he found himself going stock still as a lengthy moan fell from his lips. Whether he had heard himself or not didn’t matter to him at that moment so much as the once tight muscles in his groin finally relaxed and he felt near boneless in Ivan’s hands.

Ivan’s release came not too shortly after from the sudden clenching down on his cock by Alfred’s inner muscles. He hid his moan better than Alfred, venting his release more in leaving faint bruises on his lover’s hips.

Catching their breaths after their acts had always been a sweet moment for them. This moment was no different. Well it had started off that way.

“That was – ” Alfred had started to breath, grinning widely, blue eyes sparkling, cheeks rosy and pink, as he rested his forehead on Ivan’s, still in Ivan’s lap and enjoying the full feeling until –

“I have to leave,” Ivan blurted; his eyes were down with his mind elsewhere. “I don’t want to get caught over here.” His words thoroughly broke the once tender moment in Alfred’s mind. But he nodded numbly, grin falling, as he licked his lips. He turned his head to the side, took a deep breath and helped to clean Ivan up to leave. When the Russian was gone, Alfred clenched his fists to keep from breaking something only to grab his cigarettes from their special tin case with shaky hands and teary eyes and hurriedly light one.

The nicotine helped some but the ache in his chest was just the same as when Ivan had spoken over out on the deck. He remembered the little black box, in the same drawer as his cigarettes, things that he hid from the public eye. He opened it and stared miserably down at the ring.

Marriage – while he liked to think that Ivan would have proposed to him on his own time, Alfred also knew that that wasn’t the other’s style. It never had been. The only way that marriage would come would be if Alfred proposed himself…but ever since he had bought the ring prior to Ivan going to get his sisters, he hadn’t found a perfect time to pop the question.

He had thought about during the trip – but their time together was limited because of the separation of the ranks. Alfred could have well afforded to have Ivan and his sisters in first class with him but the Russian hadn’t let him do it. He had just asked that the American help to ensure him a slot to get into the ship. Alfred did.

He truly loved Ivan, he didn’t care about his status – or either of their statuses and he liked to think that Ivan didn’t see him as superior or himself inferior when he remembered their statuses either.  Alfred hadn’t been able to decide his. He was pretty much born into wealth, the same as his father.

He had thought that tying the Russian to him would be easy, that they were really in love, but now…he was worrying, he was thinking different. His feelings hadn’t changed. But had Ivan’s?

The mere thought angered him, clouded his mind with multiple accusations and ire to boil over in his veins. His cigarette hadn’t even been half smoked before anger boiled in him into near taking action or doing something rash. He shut the box before it could infuriate him further and then slammed the drawer shut. He threw on a shirt, didn’t bother to button it up, pulled up his pants despite the ache in his chest and backside and then stuffed his feet into a pair of boots before he stormed out of his rooms to lean on the cool deck. Maybe being outside would help to clear his head.

It didn’t. Some couple was out and making out on the other side of the deck. He broke his second cigarette in half and just went back to his room. He fought two hours not to cry. He didn’t win the fight. His sleep was restless and poor.

The third day of the ship’s voyage found Alfred in a meeting with perspective business partners so he was unavailable the whole morning and most of the afternoon. Ivan took advantage of other’s absence and gave his sisters a more in depth tour.

They met a pair of Irish twins who bickered and mimicked each other before making up and then arguing once more over the simplest things. They spied an obvious British and French interaction, the Brit having put up his gloves to promise the other blonde a fight, to which the French only laughed and continued to tease him further. 

But the greatest show of the afternoon lay in small party doing on in the lower class quarters. Natalya danced with some handsome lad with long brown hair, though her grip on his hands was a bit tight and her older sister wondered if she was purposely trying to break his fingers. Katyusha was stolen off her feet by a Scotsman, blubbering and blushing the entire dance. Ivan watched from the side though more than a few girls looked his way and giggled, hoping for a dance and having their hopes die slowly as the Russian never moved from his place at the wall.

The night ended well in Ivan’s opinion, as he listened to his sisters’ laugh and how they thanked the boys they had danced with. Natalya had even befriended a few of the girls her age, Katyusha hadn’t but she seemed content to talk with the Scotsman for the rest of the night, Ivan still comfortable with his place on the wall to keep a good watch on both of his sisters. When the party died on, they left with high hearts and even higher hopes for the rest of the voyage.

Ivan snuck out to try and see Alfred out on deck but when he looked for him at their pre-approved spot, he found no familiar face to greet him. He had gone back to his cabin a little sad but he convinced himself that it was simply late and that Alfred had chosen to retire early after his meetings and the prior night’s exercise.

The fourth night was a bit cold, and though Natalya complained and whined how the temperature was nowhere close to how bad Russia got, Ivan made them stay in their cabin. It was only when one of Natalya’s new friends took her out that Ivan decided that it was doing no one any good to stay inside. He played a game of ball on deck with a few of the men, Katyusha chatting with an elderly woman while Natalya pretended to be a model in her walk by the boys to impress her new friends.

The afternoon waned and out of nowhere, Alfred appeared. His eyes told a bit of his recent loss of sleep but his smile gave the illusion that he was fine. He jumped into the ball toss, having gone more casual than Alfred thought he owned, and blending right in with the lower-class men. The men didn’t recognize his name, could barely pronounce it with their numerous accents, and simply all accepted the language of the game. Serve - toss – toss – pass – toss – kick – toss – pass – toss.

Simple and easy, no social restrictions to be found or seen for miles; it was a great afternoon, and Ivan had to wonder if Alfred had planned to jump into their game and planned his day perfectly just for it. Whether he had or he hadn’t, Ivan was happy to see him. He may not been to openly show the other his affection as he would have liked but he could deliver a few signs in body language and leave society none the wiser.

The afternoon waned into around lunchtime and their ball group got shorter. Lunch time turned into sunset and the temperature dropped little by little, children grew cold and bored and went inside, women found interest in things that were inside and warmer, and a few of the men went to the bar.

Ivan went with his sisters as they left; he got them to dinner before he believed that the good food was gone, and escorted them back to their cabin to play around. They played a game of charades in which Katyusha lost terribly and Natalya won brilliantly. A few others on their hall joined in, Katyusha tried to win and earned a few points but many were found more amazed by how quickly Natalya won.

It was a good night and as the night waned, Natalya going to bed early, Katyusha going to reread her book ‘one last time’ before she went to sleep, Ivan went out to stand on deck. He enjoyed the stars, how they passed and made him wonder, until someone flicked his large nose. He knew only one person so bold (or so stupid) to do so and retaliated in flicking the cowlick over their head.

“Hey! I saw that!” Alfred laughed as he looked up to see Ivan feigning innocence in looking upwards and smiling. “I told ya not to do that! I should get ya back!”

“Nyet, I have done nothing wrong,” Ivan replied. “I am innocent.”

“Innocent, my ass,” the American scoffed. He leaned over the feeling, looking over the dark waters. There was something in the distance – it didn’t really look like much and he ignored it. Then, abruptly, he said to Ivan. “Your English is really good now, I don’t know if you’ve been practicing or anything, but…uh, good job. I can barely hear your old accent anymore.”

Ivan glanced down, raising a brow at the other’s red ears and how he avoided his eyes, following the blonde’s gaze of the sea. That earlier blob to Alfred was recognized as an iceberg to Ivan, he didn’t much like the look of it, but as he licked his lips, he told himself that he had nothing to fear. This ship was unsinkable, and that iceberg looked so small, it was surely nothing.

“Hm, thank you, Alfred,” Ivan smiled, looking over to the American to avoid looking at the iceberg. “Although, being around you and having you teach me did help a lot. Please remember that, I had you as an English tutor for near a year.”

“Your English was awful when you came over,” the shorter chuckled. “You were always going ‘Ah this’ and ‘ah that’ and ‘what is English word for blah, Fredka?’” He combed a hand through his hair in memory, eyes crinkling in a past and almost forgotten memory. “Christ, Ivan, I almost feel bad that I laughed at you.”

“Almost?”

“I’m no Saint,” Alfred said, looking over the rim of his glasses, “And don’t you dare judge me.”

“I am judging you,” Ivan said, sticking his nose in the air. When Alfred tried to give him a look, Ivan faked the appearance of an angel, putting his hands together in prayer, and holding his head high with his nose up.

“Why you little –!” Alfred started when the ship suddenly jolted. The younger was nearly cast over the railing but Ivan grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to his chest. “What the Hell was that!” Alfred shouted, pushing himself free and looking over the side of the ship. Blue eyes went wide as he felt his face go white.

 _No_.

No, it couldn’t – it can’t be – no, this shouldn’t be happening - no, the ship – Alfred looked over to see Ivan’s face. His face was always been pale but now it was simply chalk. The Russian looked so stiff, so afraid, so very horrified. Alfred felt a weight drop on him, his shoulders sag under its invisible weight, a little of him on the verge of panic.

“Ivan, babe,” the word just slipped out, despite how they were in public. “Vanya,” he tried using the Russian’s pet name to snap him back to reality and stop him from the terrible fearful shaking of his head, the vivid desperation of what had to be denial in his eyes. “Vanya, listen to me, this ship is unsinkable; we’re going to be fine. Your sisters –“

Ivan took off. At the mere mention of his sisters, he took off and left Alfred all alone on that cold and empty deck. Alfred felt his breath catch in his throat, a tiny piece of his heart shattering off from the rest of him, but he held himself together and went for his rooms. If the ship was really going to sink, then he was going to get a few things done before he sank with it. Lifeboats or not.

He nearly broke the doorknob in his haste as the ship jolted again, his sudden jerk to the side startled some make up plastered wealthy woman and her snub nosed husband as they barked insults at him, he ignored them. The first thing he did was open his drawer, grab the little black box and check inside – the ring was still there. Good.

He shoved it in his pocket, took his cigarette tin and a few bills – debated – and then just grabbed his entire wallet. He had brought money with him but he hadn’t thought he’d ever need it. He was glad he did. Ivan and his sisters were lower class, usually last priority when sending off lifeboats. He would make sure they weren’t among the few left off from safety.

He looked outside his window, the ship didn’t show any visible signs of sinking just yet but he had felt the tear. He may not have been the architect of this ship, but he knew a few things and what he had felt – whether the ship had ten walls to shut off the water or more – the titanic had taken a hit and a really fatal one. A hit to rip it through and do what had been thought to be the unthinkable.

… And he had brought the love of his life and his family aboard it.

Deciding to put his guilt and regret aside, he went in search of Ivan. He didn’t know the Russian’s exact number but he knew a floor and knowing the Russian, he would probably wouldn’t be much concerned about noise if he was panicking to do what he thought would save his sisters. He broke into a run as soon as he left his cabin’s doorway. They only had so much time.

People were already milling about on deck when he went outside. People were noticing. People were looking down and seeing the flooding. People were getting scared and panicking. Time was running out. He broke through the families to get downstairs and ran into a burly redhead who shouted a heavily accented insult to them.

“Out of my way, I gotta – wait,” he recognized the other from the earlier ball game. “You’re on the same floor as Ivan and his sisters, you have the same clothes.” The man frowned at him, about to spit an insult again.

“Please – the ship is going to sink.” Short, cut and to the point, that was Alfred F. Jones. “And I need to find Ivan. He has two sisters with him, a woman named Katyusha and a little girl named –“

“Kat?” Green eyes widened and heavy brows lifted. A heavy hand took Alfred’s wrist and dragged him along. He shouted questions as the redhead broke through the crowds for him. People were pushing through, trying to get up. It barely been over an hour since the initial break and Alfred was seeing more water the further they went down. “How’d the ship break?”

“Iceberg, I think, it looked small – but I’m guessing it was bigger underwater,” Alfred reasoned. He licked his lips again. He passed over families, some still sleeping, others all decked out in coats and boots with their bags packed. He saw babies crying from being woken up, children asking what was going on, mothers frightened, and fathers with new lines being drawn over their faces.

“No good lousy piece of sh-“ The redhead started and tried to take a sudden left only to double back as people came rushing from that path. Alfred looked around them as the redhead took another turn, “Ain’t goin’ that way!”

The water level was rising. His heart fell into the soles of his nice leather shoes soaking his ankles in the cold salty water. The ship really was sinking.

They found Ivan and his sisters eventually. Katyusha was crying and Ivan was trying to juggle Natalya along with their luggage. Alfred and the redhead literally ran into them. Ivan yelled some curse and the redhead yelled one back as they fell in the water, some other family almost stepping on Alfred and Katyusha in their haste to escape.

“Angus? Is that you?” Katyusha shouted, getting up and going to help him up. Ivan tried to gather their luggage until he saw Alfred. The redhead, now properly known as Angus, helped Alfred and Ivan gather the bags. Only for Angus and Ivan to take them back and tell him to carry Natalya. The American was suddenly reminded of the young girl’s bad leg, his heart sinking further through the floor, as he gulped and helped her into his arms.

Not even a second later, they were all running to get back up deck. The water was rising, nearly up to Katyusha’s waist and steadily rising. The buxom woman was saying soft prayers as she ran, Natalya was crying as she forced her head into Alfred’s collar. She smelt sea salt but she didn’t want to see the water, she may not have known the man very well, but she didn’t want to die.

They barely made it up deck in time to get into the last few lifeboats. Angus and Ivan were immediately trying to push their way through; Alfred shouting over them to the sailors lowering the lifeboats to wait for them. The sailor in charge on the lifeboat that they managed to catch tried to stop them, but Alfred shoved Natalya into his arms, snarling, “Hell no, I only see fucking six people on this thing, you’re taking her and I’m paying ya!”

He immediately took out his wallet, showing off the proof of money, thrusting gold rings and even the watch he had on into Katyusha’s hands as he pushed her on board as well. The sailor in charge was baffled, as was Ivan and Angus. Katyusha’s dress was soaked, pleading for the rest of her group to get on board as Natalya was crying and trying to get back to her brother. Ivan curled her fingers back, kissing her knuckles. Angus told Katyusha not to worry and Alfred stood back, heart heavy. He was dividing a family. He had divided a family by putting them on this supposedly “unsinkable ship.”

“Vanya, nyet, no, don’t leave me,” Natalya wailed, trying to drag her brother onto the lifeboat. It swayed. “No, you cannot leave me, I need my brother, no, come with me! You cannot leave me, no, Vanya – sestra, stop it! Let go of me!”

Her older sister was shaking her head, trying to hold her baby sister, and then sailor in charge made a last minute decision and said, “I can only take one of you fellas!” Alfred looked at Ivan, the little black box untouched and heavy in his pocket. So he and Angus would be left behind. The rich man and the Scottish immigrant, how funny –

He missed the quick look that Ivan sent behind him as pried Natalya’s fingers from his scarf and kissed her fingers one last time before he unwrapped it from his neck and then around her head. He missed the complete and clear decision that Ivan made in that single moment before he sent himself into action and shocked many in the boat.

“Angus, go in my place,” Ivan declared, shoving the redhead on the lifeboat. Katyusha’s runny makeup made her shock even worse. She began to shake her head wildly, screaming at her brother angrily in her tears, as she tried to grab at her brother’s hands and make him look at her. But Ivan wouldn’t, he kept his gaze on Angus entirely, ignoring her, “Go, you bastard, raise my baby sister as your own and treat Katyusha well if you so plan on marrying her.”

“What?” Angus shouted, trying to resist, Katyusha demanding her brother for answers, Alfred left in shock, Natalya shrieking and fighting all the more harder, as the sailor on the life boat began to lower them down. “Ivan! What are ya doin’? Get your arse on this boat and me out of here or I’ll-!”

“You will shut your mouth and stay in that damned boat!” Ivan shouted back, enraged. Violet eyes were desperate and furious, “I gave you an order and you will fucking follow it! All of you! Shut up and do as I say for once!”

Angus went silent, Katyusha’s hands recoiled as if she had been burned, her eyes wide with shock and then she could only sob, as she held Natalya close as she continued to plead for her brother to join them in vain. Angus just shook his head slowly, looking down, “I-I can’t break up a family…Ivan, I can’t-”

But Ivan only smiled sadly, calling something down in Russian, as tears went down his cold cheeks. The anger was leaving him and it left behind a very sad man. “You didn’t break it up…you’re helping create a new one.”

Alfred stood back, shell shocked and in total disbelief. A man pushed the American aside and tried to get to the next boat but there was no boat. There weren’t any more lifeboats. That had been the last one. Ivan had given up his chance- he had let someone else go in his place on the life boat with his sisters. But for what?

For the soaking wet blonde, once a confident and rich businessman, now a sniveling and crying mess being forced to the back of a line. He used to lead lines now he was at the very end of one. Ivan pushed his way back after what felt like a long time to collect himself and went in search of Alfred.

The blonde didn’t directly acknowledge him at first and tried to shove him away actually, but ultimately, Alfred gave in and just let himself be embraced in the crowd. No one paid them any real mind. The orchestra played in the distance, it was a very sad tune and Alfred hated it.

“Why did you do it?” Alfred’s voice came out surprisingly well despite the croak. “You had a clear shot and –”

“And I gave it up, I know,” Ivan sighed, kissing the top of the other’s hair. “I couldn’t leave you behind so I let Angus go instead, he’s been chasing my sister since we got on this damn boat.”

“Swear much?”

“Shut up, Alfred,” Ivan said, tiredly. The Russian felt drained, he wanted no more then to just lie down and just wake up from this awful nightmare in his warm bed in America. But he knew that he couldn’t. It wasn’t a nightmare. This was real. He would no longer wake up in America. He –

Then, it hit him like a solid punch to the gut. He looked down at the quiet blonde nestled in his side. Alfred hadn’t even tried to get on the boat. He had given up his documents and monies to put his sisters on board. He had tried to hide himself in the crowd afterwards; he hadn’t even tried to be a possible candidate to get on the boat. He hadn’t even looked like he wanted to get on the boat.

“You didn’t get on the boat?” Ivan said, it wasn’t so much a question so much a means of asking for clarification. It was a polite way of asking ‘Did you seriously give up your wealth and luxury and estate in your own country without a second thought of yourself?’

“I didn’t want to,” Alfred said, cuddling more into the Russian’s side. “I…I didn’t really want to and I didn’t need to, either.”

“Why?” Ivan asked. He still didn’t understand. Alfred could have paid for himself to get in and then left the rest of them behind. He could have paid for himself and Ivan’s sisters and left. He could have done saved himself in so many ways – and yet, he didn’t.

“Like I said, I didn’t want to.” Alfred said, giving a one armed shrug. Ivan took that as his final answer. The American was a mystery.

They leaned against the wall for what felt like hours but what was probably only a few minutes. They watched men try to jump down into the freezing water. They saw families who were too late cry in corners and pray. The orchestra continued to play. The ship continued to sink and now it was very obvious that they were all going to die.

“Oh hey, I almost forgot,” Alfred spoke up. He started shuffling in his pocket, cursing his cold and wet fingers as he pulled a little black box free. He handed it to Ivan, “I’ve been trying to get you alone this entire fucking trip, excuse me Lord, but I guess now’s a good time as ever.”  

Ivan frowned, “What is it?” He shook the box, heard a little water slosh around, his frown deepening as Alfred didn’t answer him and only shrugged as he refused to meet his gaze, settling to look at some alcoholic chug as much wine into his system before he drowned.

The Russian managed to open the box, his eyes widening, and cheeks flaming despite the cold, before he snapped it shut. No one was looking at him. He opened it again – still there, yup, clear as day – he shut it again. He swallowed thickly in his throat, eyes burning, as he chuckled darkly. “Is this really it? No grandeur? I refuse to accept unless I hear Alfred F. Jones come back to me.”

He held his breath, faking offense, as he shoved the box back. But inside of his chest, his heart sobbed and tore itself in two. This was no way to die. Even Alfred’s broken chuckle said so. When he looked back at the blonde, he realized that the other’s glasses were crooked and cracked. When had that happened?

Alfred cleared his throat, snapped at the orchestra and made a rough gesture with his arms in some instrumental motion. Their song changed to a slightly happier one and Ivan found himself almost crying again, but these tears were slightly bitter. Alfred had puffed out his chest, holding the box tightly as he tried to smile as best as he could and whether his smile was real or not, it brought a smile to Ivan anyways. “I, Alfred F. Jones, am asking from the very bottom of my total heroic heart for you hand in marriage. Do you, Ivan uh –”

“Nikola, it was my father’s name,” Ivan shrugged. His wet tears stung his cheeks in the cold. But his smile remained.

“Well, do you Ivan Nikola Bragniski,” the shorter pronounced the whole name slowly, doing his best to get it right. Something that Ivan found the need to chuckle at when he did. “Do you take this ring to be my lawfully wedded husband?”

“I am not the wife?” Ivan joked. “Who is the wife in this?”

Alfred paused, smile falling a quick second. Then he narrowed his eyes, “God damn it, Ivan, I’m sitting over here, trying to – and then you – ugh, god damn it all – y’know, fuck it. You wanna be my husband, yes or yes?”

“I cannot say no?” He was pushing his boundary a little but Ivan’s humor always seemed to get darker when he was under stress.

“Yes or yes,” Alfred said, flatly. “I ain’t runnin’ no deal here, go big or go home, kid.”

“Your impatience amuses me, Alfred,” Ivan said, sadly, but he was smiling as he took the ring from the box. Leave it to them to find humor in their upcoming deaths. “But I accept your proposal, better hope the ring fits.”

“Your jokes suck,” Alfred said, but he pulled the other’s face down to his level to kiss him. Their lips were cold, the temperature was colder, and their clothes were wet and freezing – but their love was warm.

The ship jolted once more – but this one topped all of the others as their end literally slid to the other side as the ship split in two. The floor literally cracked, caving in, and families screamed as people were torn apart. More men jumped. The alcoholic chased another bottle down, hiccupping as he fell over drunk.

Alfred began to slide down, eyes wide and panicked, but his new husband’s ringed hand grabbed his before he could get away. Ivan held him close, holding onto the railing of the wall. He smiled down at Alfred, a final determination in his eyes, “Till death do us part, Alfred.”

Alfred had a moment for his eyes to well up before his grin nearly split his face. The ship continued to turn up as they wrapped themselves as tightly as possible. “T-till death do us part,” he mimicked, his voice nearly overshadowed by the screams as families were broken apart. Ivan held the rail tightly, Alfred’s legs around his waist, as he held the railing with him. They both scrunched their eyes tight, going for one last kiss before their hands finally gave and slipped underneath the slippery metal.

They didn’t scream like the others, only held each more tightly, as they chased after the orchestra on the way down. Ivan tried to stave off the inevitable, instincts making him grab for anything. Alfred mumbled something against his chest, Ivan frowned, shouting over the chaos, “What?”

Alfred looked up with wet eyes and a broken smile, “I never learned to swim.”

Ivan kissed his forehead, their embrace as close as physically possible, “We can learn together then.”

**XXX**

They met the same end in the form of the railing that they had tried to hold onto. It pierced through the both of them, pain barely there before an instant before their souls found better use in leaving then suffering. They watched from the safety of the clouds as the rest of the Titanic, the once unsinkable ship, continued to collapse and sink under the waves under the ocean.

**Author's Note:**

> RusAme Secret Santa from last year for curls-and-cats/violetlolitapop. It was well received on tumblr so I thought why not post it here too?


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